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Sunday, December 30, 2007

We're still working on the sharing thing. She didn't like Denim touching her new computer!

Here she is cleaning AGAIN after Christmas with my Grandmother!

We had a wonderful Christmas. Jolea, Luke and Brea had a great time opening all of their presents. Jolea was a little stressed out about all the mess. She likes for things to be tidy. She also had her teeth fixed on the 20th. They did give her an IV and make her go to sleep, and she did very well. She now has brand new white, and silver teeth, and is a little snaggletoothed. She is so proud of them. Enjoy the pictures!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Today Luke and Jolea had their Christmas party at school. Jolea started crying when we got there and would not let me out of her sight. She held my leg until we started getting out the food. She is not going to miss a meal! All the kids sang a few songs and danced. Jolea wouldn't let go of my leg, but Luke got up and put on a show. Look at the pictures and you will notice that Jolea and Luke have fifths disease. It is onlya little virus that children get. Both of them have a rash from head to toe. Tomorrow Jolea goes to the dentist to get her teeth fixed. She is getting white crowns put on, and who knows what else. They are putting her to sleep for all of it so they can really get in there and see what all she needs done. Pray she feels better for Christmas.

Friday, December 14, 2007

On December 14, 2004 around 9 p.m., there was a lot of activity going on in Heaven. God was smiling, more than usual, and was eagerly awaiting a very special soul. He turned to one of His most trusted angels and with joy said, “It’s time. Bring him home.” All of the angels, except a little one, ran with haste to prepare a magnificent homecoming.The little angel awed by this, more than usual Heavenly joy, tugged on the robe of one of the older angels and asked, “What are we celebrating? Who could be so special that God would prepare such a homecoming?”The little angel spread his tiny wings and rushed after the older angel. “We have souls coming every second, every minute, every hour and every day. What makes this boy so special?” the little angel repeated.“As deep as the oceans, as high as the sky, as low as the lowest valley and as wide as the earth itself, all unique and handmade by God and yet, none as special as Joey Colt Crow.” The Angel replied, and raised his arms, as he calmed the wind on God’s orders.“How can this be? Those are all wonders that God called into being from the very beginning. Surely, this Joey Colt Crow cannot be more special than these.”“He was made of love,” answered the angel as he whirled his arms and caused the moon to shine a little brighter on God’s orders.“Were not all men made of love. Did not God send His son Jesus to redeem all men, in the name of Love?” insisted the little Angel.“Yes, all of that is true. But not all men follow love. Not all men give and give and give from a never ending well of love. Not all boys can lie down at night and have no fear if they are called. This boy, Joey Colt Crow was all that…”“That can be said of many men,” interrupted the little angel. “I want to know about Joey Colt Crow. I want to know about that boy.”“It’s quite simple,” said the angel as he hovered and placed the last twinkling star in the sky and added just the right amount of glow to the moon.“This boy, Joey Colt Crow, in spite of his body racked with pain from Neuroblastoma, encouraged his family, his friends and all he met to continue to look towards where all hope began and ended. This boy Joey Colt Crow, up until about 2 weeks before he went on hospice was still going about running, and playing with his brother and sister. This boy, Joey Colt Crow, gave as much love back to God, through his giving, as was given him.”

The older Angel, pleased with all the work God had given him to do turned and said, “Do you understand now?”“Yes. I think I see now,” said the little angel. “He was favored like Job. And, like Job endured a lot of pain, but he held on. And, through it all, he believed in the power and the promises of the Word…he just kept on loving God anyway. I guess there’s no way to describe someone like that without running out of adjectives.”“I know.” said the angel. “Like I said, he was all that and more. Excuse me, but the trumpets have started and God is waiting at Heaven’s gate.”Suddenly, something caught the little angel’s attention. “My, my—look at the light that’s streaking this way. What is that light? Is that Joey Colt Crow? His light! It’s a brighter one than I’ve ever seen and it’s so wide,” gushed the little angel.“Yes, that’s him!” the older Angel exclaimed. “That light is the love that Joey Colt Crow brought with him.”“He brought so much love with him—couldn’t he have left just a little for his family?” asked the little angel sadly.“Oh, he did!” laughed the older angel. He pointed and said, “Don’t you see it down there. The love he left now holds his Mom and Dad, his brother, and his sisters. The glow from it is wrapped around his aunts, and his uncles, and all his relatives. The brightness that surrounds his family and everyone who knew him in Caddo Mills, Texas and everywhere, is his love too. As much love as Joey Colt Crow brought with him to heaven can never equal what he left on earth.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Trying to get a photo for our Christmas card is such a task. Nobody wanted to look at the camera at the same time or smile at the same time. It took me about 50 pictures before we finally got one that would work. Here are some of the goofy ones.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

These are our lab puppies that were born on Colt's birthday October 15, 2004. We let him pick one puppy to keep and he had to have a "white" one. He named her pubbah. Where he came up with that name I have no idea. He loved her, and told everyone who came over all about her. I remember one day the hospice nurse came by and he had us go and get her and put her on the couch with him so he could show Kathy (our amazing nurse). He was proud of her. He also had to take a bath with her. I normally don't let our kids and dogs bathe together, but we couldn't tell him no.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The anniversary of the day Colt left us and went to be Jesus is almost upon us again. It will 3 years on December 14th. This year I'm going to try to post a memory of him and some of my favorite pictures on the blog everyday or at least every few days, and please if you knew Colt I would love to read some of your favorite memories of him also. I'm also going to post some pictures later on of Colt's last days. Some of you are going to think I'm crazy but these pictures mean so much to me. I can see the joy in his eyes even when the cancer thought it was winning, and I treasure these pictures. He always kept us laughing and smiling. He had such a sense of humor, even though he was in such pain. I have to say when I think back on the last few weeks of his life, it's hard to remember the sadness, and the hard times. I remember so many of the things he said to us and did that are just absolutely hilarious.

The memory I want to share today has to do with the picture above, and that was his love for Luke. Colt would say "that's my baby Wuke." When I was pregnant with Luke we didn't know whether he was a boy or girl so we just called him baby. Colt would talk to him while he was in the womb and tell him "pum out baby, pum out baby." After Luke was born Colt was so in love with his baby brother. He adored him, and I often tell Luke stories of how much his brother loved him. Colt was so protective of him up until the day he left us. That last week when Colt wasn't able to get up and do much Luke had to be in his site at all times and he would become very upset if someone took Luke out of the room. He would tell them, " don't take my baby Wuke." I pray Luke never forgets the love his brother had for him and still has for him.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this Thanksgiving post out. It's been a busy weekend. Jolea loved Thanksgiving. Most of all, she loved going to Memaw and Grandads farm with all the kids. She also loved getting dressed up in her new dress and boots. Eating is really one of her favorite things to do so she was thrilled to see all of the food.

I have so much to be thankful for this year. First of all, for Jesus, my husband and our children, our families, our friends. Thanks to all of you for all your love and support you continue to give us. I am also thankful for Jolea's birth parents, and for Children's Hope International's Vietnam Program staff for all of their hardwork in bringing Jolea home. I am also thankful for all of the friends I have made through our adoption. This has been an amazing year for our family and we couldn't ask for more. We are so blessed.